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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Myrmicinae » Solenopsidini » Fire Ants and Thief Ants (Solenopsis) » Fire Ants (Solenopsis Fire Ants) » Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)
Photo#1117160
Solenopsis (invicta or xyloni?) - Solenopsis invicta - female
Copyright © 2015 Salvador Vitanza

Solenopsis (invicta or xyloni?) - Solenopsis invicta - Female
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, USA
August 7, 2015
These are biting and stinging ants. I understand it is close to impossible to tell the difference between these two species from a few photos, not matter their quality. The following article proposes a DNA based technique: "...morphological techniques are not dependable unless numerous ants from each population are analyzed by a taxonomist familiar with Solenopsis." (J Econ Entomol. 2006 Apr;99(2):313-22. Establishing guidelines to improve identification of fire ants Solenopsis xyloni and Solenopsis invicta. Jacobson AL, Thompson DC, Murray L, Hanson SF.)

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Solenopsis (invicta or xyloni?) - Solenopsis invicta - female Solenopsis (invicta or xyloni?) - Solenopsis invicta - female
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Contributed by Salvador Vitanza on 7 August, 2015 - 3:25pm
Last updated 21 August, 2015 - 9:06am

Moved
Moved from Ants.
… James C. Trager, 21 August, 2015 - 9:06am login or register to post comments

On the other hand
S. xyloni is known from surrounding wilder areas. To wit: the image linked below . Note color difference.
… James C. Trager, 20 August, 2015 - 12:09pm login or register to post comments

In fact...
These two fire ant species can be told apart morphologically and even from photos, when the appropriate structures (clypeal border, underside of petiole) can be seen. These appear to be S. invicta based on the median clypeal tooth visible on one of the small workers in the second image, and also on the amount of brown coloring on all workers (less reliable), and based on the fact that it is known that S. invicta has in recent decades virtually or indeed eradicated S. xyloni from the El Paso urban area.
… James C. Trager, 20 August, 2015 - 12:03pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 7 August, 2015 - 4:07pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
I appreciate you taking the time to share your expertise on ants. Your credentials are impressive, being the Missouri Ant Curator! I wouldn't dare to question your judgment on this subject. But this leaves me with a couple of questions: Were, in your opinion, the authors of the journal article that I cited less than accurate in their assertions? You also mentioned that S. invicta has erradicated S. xyloni from El Paso urban area, but the photo you linked as S. xyloni was taken in El Paso. To be perfectly honest, the exact location is right at the edge of the city and the desert. Interestingly, El Paso is not under RIFA quarantine. Again, thank you for your kind help and expertise.
… Salvador Vitanza, 20 August, 2015 - 4:47pm login or register to post comments

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